GE - STS

HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS IN THE COURSE OF

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. explain how science and technology affected the society and
environment and vice versa;
2. identify inventions and discoveries that changed the world over the
course of history; and
3. discuss the scientific and technological developments in the
Philippines.
Science and technology play major roles in everyday life.
They make difficult tasks easier

The developments in this field are not just products of people’s

imagination, or a one-time thought process; they are also
brought about by gradual improvements to earlier works from
different time periods.

The driving force behind this continuous progress is the desire

to raise the quality of life of the people
ANCIENT TIMES
People in the ancient times were concerned with
Transportation and Navigation
Communication
Record keeping
Mass production
Security and protection
Health
Architecture
Aesthetics
 Transportation – significant during the ancient time because people
were trying to go to places and discover new horizons

They travelled to:

Search for food
Find better locations for their settlements
Trade their surplus goods in exchange for things that they don’t have

Navigation – assisted them in their journeys to unfamiliar and

strange areas in the world
It allowed them to return home after their journey
Communication – essential in their endeavors to discover and
occupy new places
to communicate with the natives to facilitate trade and prevent
possible conflict

Record-keeping – to remember the places they had been and to

document the trades they made with each other
Also vital to keep records of their history and culture so they could
establish their identities as they tried to relates with other cultures and
civilizations
Mass Production – to address the increased demand for food and
other basic necessities.
People needed a form of technology that would enable them to increase
food supplies and other survival needs without them travelling more or
working harder.

Weapons and armors – important in the discovery of new places or

the establishment of new alliances with other tribes.
Conflicts were common especially if different groups struggled to control
vital resources.
The development of weapons and armors for security and protection was
considered a major achievement
Health – to discover cures to (or prevention of) different
illnesses and diseases, both natural and man-made; to ensure
their survival.

Engineering – to integrate their needs:

for better transportation
establishment of structures for protection
from human attacks and natural disasters
construction of bigger and stronger infrastructures
Architecture. During the ancient times, elaborate architectural
designs were signs of technological advancement of a particular
civilization.

Aesthetics. They developed the technology to improve how

they look.
They have discovered that people looked more visually presentable
and appealing by adding some features and decorations in their
bodies.
IN CONCLUSION,

Developments in science and technology

affect the lives of the people
were the results of many prior antecedents

Out of necessity, people in the ancient times were able to discover

and invent things that would impact the lives of the modern people.
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
Cuneiform

One of the major

contributions of the
Sumerians
First writing system
Utilizes word pictures and
triangular symbols which are
carved on clay
It allowed the Sumerians to
keep records of things with
great historical value or their
everyday life.
SUMERIAN
Uruk City
CIVILIZATION Considered to be the first true
city in the world
Built using only mud or clay
from the river, which they
mixed with reeds, producing
sun-baked bricks.
The bricks are used to make
houses and to build walls
around the city
The Great Ziggurat of Ur
Also called the mountain of god
Served as the sacred place of their
chief god; only priests were allowed
to enter.
Built in the same manner that they
constructed Uruk City
Showcases elaborate and intricate
Sumerian architecture as well as
remarkable technology used to
build it
SUMERIAN Irrigation and Dikes
CIVILIZATION To bring water to farmlands; to
help mass produce food items
To control flooding of the rivers
Considered as one of the world’s
most beneficial engineering
works.
Enabled them to enjoy year-long
farming and harvesting; increased
their food production.
Sailboats
(Wheel was not yet invented at the
time); Boats were used to carry
large quantities of products and
were able to cover large distances
Mode of transportation that did not
require much human resource
Essential in transportation and
trading as well as in fostering
culture, information, and
technology.
SUMERIAN
Wheel
CIVILIZATION Invented in the latter part of their
history
The first wheels were not made
for transportation but for farm
work and food processes.
With the use of wheel and ale,
mass production was made easier.
Farmers were able to mill grains
with less effort in less time.
The Plow
Invented to dig the earth in a
faster pace, so that farmers would
just drop the seeds to get the farm
work done.
Enabled them to mass produce
food without taking so much time
and effort
SUMERIAN Roads
Developed in order to facilitate
CIVILIZATION faster and easier travel
The flow of traffic became faster
and more organized.
Made with the same technology
they used in making the
sun-baked bricks that they laid
down on the ground. Later, they
poured bitumen (similar to
asphalt) to smoothen the roads.
References
McNamara, Daniel Joseph et.al., (2018). Science, Technology and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc, Quezon, City.
Mark, Joshua J. Sumer. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://www.ancient.eu/sumer/
Mark, Joshua J. Cuneiform. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://www.ancient.eu/cuneiform/
Ziggurat Tower. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://www.britannica.com/technology/ziggurat
The Great Ziggurat of Ur. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/great-ziggurat-ur-001767
Components of Irrigation. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://ancientmesopotamia5.wordpress.com/
Ancient Mesopotamia Sailboats: An Introduction. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from
https://www.brighthubengineering.com/marine-history/78133-the-sailboats-of-ancient-mesopotamia/
Sailboat. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://sites.google.com/a/brvgs.k12.va.us/wh-14-sem-1-mespotamia-ogm/sailboat
Accomplishments, Inventions and Other Knowledge. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from
https://sumeriancivilizationhonors.weebly.com/accomplishments-and-inventions.html
Seeder Plow. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from https://sites.google.com/a/brvgs.k12.va.us/wh-15-sem-1-mesopotamia-go/seeder-plow
The Sumerians Greatest Inventions. Accessed on February 27, 2021 from
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/10/ba/63/10ba63151d19de836aca75ab18df014c.jpg